Toeing The Lesfic Line

There are a number of cardinal rules for lesfic authors. Chief among these: never kill a puppy, be nice to small children, and always include a bit of romance. The rules might have various origins (the readers, the editors, the publishing houses, the authors themselves), but woe betide anyone who fails to abide by them.

I know that every reader – myself included – brings expectations to a book. My expectations are formed in numerous ways: by the cover, the blurb, the marketing, the genre, and...